Imaging sensors and other detectors that utilize some form of charge transfer mechanism in their readout phases are commonplace. Errors due to stray and parasitic properties of the charge transfer process can cause errors in the output signal of a detector. Such errors may be particularly evident in the output signal immediately following a change in the operating conditions of the detector. The change in conditions may be caused by changes in the signal being detected, or by the manner in which the detector is operated.
In many systems, for example systems that are designed to be read or viewed by the human eye, or systems in which operating conditions change relatively slowly, these errors are of little significance and may be ignored, or not noticed. However, in other systems, for example detectors which detect infra-red radiation, and/or detectors that are used to provide an output to a computer-controlled, fast-moving vehicle, and/or where operating conditions are rapidly changing, such errors may be more significant and limit the performance of a system.
Such a limitation may be particularly evident on systems using infra-red sensors, where mismatches between infra-red detector elements making up a detector may require ongoing calibration checks during a detection process. For example, for each frame where detection data is obtained, there may be a following calibration step.
The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved detector system and method of correcting errors in detector output.